Alex Makura is the Founder and CEO of Your Digital Assembly . A full-service agency that supports e-commerce in its digital growth.
We've heard that people buy with their emotions and justify it with their logic. But does that only apply to B2C marketing and how do emotions affect B2B marketing?
When I say "emotions" in a B2B context, people often give me funny looks. I think marketers treat B2B buyers like robots, making decisions based on facts, characteristics and benefits.
People do business with people.
With every marketing, your target audience is a different person. Unless proven otherwise, there is a person behind the decision, even if they are behind the largest corporate brand or part of a decision-making team.
And behind every human being there are emotions. Fear, anxiety, boredom, joy, indecision, confidence, etc.
So imagine these scenarios.
• “My team is not achieving its goals. If we don't dial the number, your job and mine are in jeopardy.
• “This project requires resources beyond the capabilities of our internal team. The whole project can fail. How do you know which resource to choose?
B2B problems? Absolutely. Emotionally? Without a doubt
emotions and decision making.
Whatever decision is made, there is an emotional trigger. It should be noted that this is all happening unconsciously; We often have the feeling that it is the right thing to do.
How to use the emotions of your customers
When it comes to emotions along the customer journey, there are four S's to consider.
1. Him. do anything for her Not you, your product, or your profits. This is especially true during the knowledge phase of the funnel. For those interested, goals, problems etc.
2. Feelings. Use all five senses as much as possible; with pictures, smells, sounds, textures and smells.
3. Specificity. Make it a thing, an experience, a feeling and a reaction.
4. Simplicity. If you overcomplicate things, the brain's logical center will step in and destroy the powerful emotional engine you so desperately want to turn on to get the response you want.
How to emotionally position your non-emotional product or service
It is highly unlikely that your product or service is even slightly emotional. Your SaaS product, your outsourcing company, your ERP system is bone dry. So how do you create emotions?
You don't know, at least their product doesn't work on its own.
So what are you doing? You start thinking about the emotions your customers feel when they see your product. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would feel if faced with a problem like this. How would you feel if we never had to deal with this problem again?
I assure you that the presence or absence of traits or benefits at this stage of the funnel will not make you lose sleep. If you can convince your prospects that your product or service will solve their insomnia problem or keep their business going, you're in the door.
Then convert your ad copy across all sequences: landing pages, social media channels, and case studies. Use reviews that reflect how customers use your product or service.
Focus your marketing more on that emotion and not just a screenshot of your app or a list of features.
Balance data and heart in your funnel
As a B2B marketer, we are heavily dependent on data. Information like website traffic, device, age, location, session length, bounce rate all influence our decisions. This is good information and will show you how your campaigns are performing. However, this is not a good starting point and is not an accurate representation of who your actual customer is.
If you've been with me more than five minutes or read my previous articles, you'll know that I believe effective end-to-end B2B marketing is all about knowing your ideal target customer. And I don't mean "every top executive in America." Go a little deeper.
• Why do existing customers use your product or service?
• What supports or refutes the initial emotional decision? Is it the price, the features, the reliability or the customer service?
• What motivates you to make the decision to sell? Lack, discount or gift?
• What rewards confirm that they made the right decision? Is it a welcome email, a social endorsement, or a phone call?
• How do they feel when you solve their problem, and what makes them want to come back?
These are all emotional factors that underlie the customer's decision making. By focusing on this, you can ensure that your ideal customer is at the center of your marketing strategy.
Emotional marketing throughout the funnel
The B2B funnel is different (longer and more complex) than the B2C funnel. It often comes with a higher price tag and involves decision makers, internal approvals and budget committees, so the decision is rarely used by the final decision makers. Adjust your emotional marketing accordingly.
• Top of Funnel (TOFU). In the awareness phase, your blog or eBook can be “Effective Ways to Solve the XYZ Problem”. Showcase your understanding of fear, frustration, and issues (i.e., emotions) on your blog, and then show how your solution addresses those negative factors. the senses
• Consideration (MOFU). Your customer has researched and is now comparing you with your competitors. Use case studies that show how others feel about using your solution, as well as special features and benefits, to eliminate confusion or decision paralysis.
• Processing (BOFU). Use price, rating, rarity, and trust queues to move customers from consideration to conversion.
Once the marketers land the lead, it's the sales team's job to move them to the next stage of the sales funnel. Your emotional marketing has done its job.
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